Introduction

Six is clearly stamped in the bible as the number of man. It was on the sixth day of creation that God created people. Six could be seen as being four - the creation or mankind's world, plus two - division or mankind's separation from God. Alternatively six could be five - the grace of God, plus one leading to the grace of God being made of no effect by mankind's addition to it. Finally six might also be viewed as seven - spiritual perfection minus one, i.e. mankind's coming short of spiritual perfection.

The sixth verse of the Bible

⁶And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Genesis 1:6

The sixth verse of the Bible is the first verse of 'day' two of creation. Thus there appears right from the start a connection between the meaning of six and the division that two represents. The nature of this connection will become clearer shortly. The words of the verse itself deal with division and separation. God separated the waters from the waters with an expanse. which reminds us of something Jesus said. The parable of the rich mand and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31. However we want to look at only one verse in particular.

²⁶And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Luke 16:26

Thus the separation is a complete one.

The sixth day of creation

In Genesis 1 the sixth creation day starts in verse 24. 24 = 4 x 6 Thus the number of the world or the natural creation and the number six itself is present. It is in the sixth day that mankind is created.

The sixth day is covered in the eight verses from 24-31. However, verses 24-25 cover the creation of the beasts of the earth and particularly mentions cattle, one of the staple food animals of the human race. It is in verse 26 that the creation of man is first mentioned. So that the creation of man and the end of the sixth day take six verses to narrate.

The sixth chapter of the Bible

After God had banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, He saw in chapter six of genesis that their descendants became very wicked.

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 6:5

Thus in chapter six God started His plan to rid the earth of evil mankind. Only Noah and his household were to be saved. In chapter seven we have the completion of Gods plan. We are told that Noah was 600 years old when the flood came.

And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

Genesis 7:6

We also have the comment at the end of chapter seven.

And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

Genesis 7:24

Not only is this verse 24 = 4x 6 a multiple of both the world number and the number of man. Also the time that the water was upon the earth, 150 days is a multiple of 6. 150 = 25x 6 = 5²x 6 = 5x 5x 6

The word Six

Six in the Old Testament

	The Hebrew word for six occurs a total of 215 times in the Bible.(1) This number is almost remarkable, in the sense that is is just one short of the cube of six.
	The Aramaic word for six is used twice in the Old Testament.(2)
	There are three words used for a sixth in the Old Testament. Together they appear a total of thirty times(3). 30 = 5 x 6.
	There are two words used for sixty in the Old Testament. Together they appear a total of sixty three times(4).

Six in the New Testament

	The Greek word for six occurs a total of 13 times in the Bible.(5).
	The Greek word for sixty occurs a total of nine times in the Bible.(6).
	The Greek word for six hundred occurs twice in the Bible.(7). Both occurrences are in Revelation as part of the composite number six hundred and sixty six.
	Thus the total number of occurrences in the New Testament is 13 + 9 + 2 = 24.

Words that are used six times

When a word is used exactly six times in the entire text of the Bible we might expect it to be marked with the symbolic meaning of the number six. Let us consider some words that are used six times:

Destruction

The Hebrew word @wDob'a} - ab-ad-done’ which means destruction or more paticularly, a place of destruction, ruin, Abaddon.

Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.

Job 26:6

²⁰Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? ²¹Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. ²²Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

Job 28:20-22

For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

Job 31:12

Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?

Psalm 88:11

Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?

Proverbs 15:11

Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Proverbs 27:20

This word is used only these six times, in the wisdom literature.

Deed

The Greek word praxi" - prax’-is (Greek Strongs 4234) meaning a doing, a mode of acting, a deal or a transaction is used only six times in the entire Bible.

²⁷For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Matthew 16:27

⁵¹(The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

Luke 23:51

¹⁸And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

Acts 19:18

¹³For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Romans 8:13

⁴For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

Romans 12:4

⁹Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Colossians 2:9

This word is used to speak of the works of the sinful man. In Luke it speaks of the work of putting Jesus to death by false accusation. In Acts it speaks of the works done before the people repented of them. In Romans 8 the works of the natural fleshly person. In Colossians the works of the natural nature as opposed to the spiritual nature of a christian once they have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. Thus in four out of six times this word is used it is in relation to the works of natural mankind.

In the first instance this word is used, in Matthew, it speaks more generally of any and all works or deeds that a person may do. But note that we shall all be judged by these deeds that we do. Did we obey the simple commandments of God (repent, be baptized, recieve the Holy Spirit) or did we reject the gospel? Thus we shall all be judged according to our works, did we do the works of the natural, unspiritual nature. Or did we do the works of the spiritual nature, the works of obedience, of faith, hope and love?

The other time it is used, (the fifth use in order of the received text), it speaks of the office, or the responsibility to do good deeds, of the christian believer.

Footnotes

1	The complete listing is: Ge 7:6, Ge 7:11, Ge 8:13, Ge 16:16, Ge 30:20, Ge 31:41, Ge 46:18, Ge 46:26, Ex 12:37, Ex 14:7, Ex 16:26, Ex 20:9, Ex 20:11, Ex 21:2, Ex 23:10, Ex 23:12, Ex 24:16, Ex 25:32, Ex 25:33, Ex 25:35, Ex 26:9, Ex 26:22, Ex 26:25, Ex 28:10(twice), Ex 31:15, Ex 31:17, Ex 34:21, Ex 35:2, Ex 36:16, Ex 36:27, Ex 36:30, Ex 37:18, Ex 37:19, Ex 37:21, Ex 38:26, Le 12:5, Le 23:3, Le 24:6, Le 25:3(twice), Nu 1:21, Nu 1:25, Nu 1:27, Nu 1:46, Nu 2:4, Nu 2:9, Nu 2:11, Nu 2:15, Nu 2:31, Nu 2:32, Nu 3:28, Nu 3:34, Nu 4:40, Nu 7:3, Nu 11:21, Nu 26:22, Nu 26:41, Nu 26:51, Nu 31:32, Nu 31:37, Nu 31:38, Nu 31:40, Nu 31:44, Nu 31:46, Nu 31:52, Nu 35:6, Nu 35:13, Nu 35:15, Dt 5:13, Dt 15:12, Dt 15:18, Dt 16:8, Jos 6:3, Jos 6:14, Jos 7:5, Jos 15:41, Jos 15:59, Jos 15:62, Jos 19:22, Jdg 3:31, Jdg 12:7, Jdg 18:11, Jdg 18:16, Jdg 18:17, Jdg 20:15, Jdg 20:47, Ru 3:15, Ru 3:17, 1Sa 13:5, 1Sa 13:15, 1Sa 14:2, 1Sa 17:4, 1Sa 17:7, 1Sa 23:13, 1Sa 27:2, 1Sa 30:9, 2Sa 2:11, 2Sa 5:5, 2Sa 6:13, 2Sa 15:18, 2Sa 21:20(twice), 1Ki 6:6, 1Ki 10:14(twice), 1Ki 10:16, 1Ki 10:19, 1Ki 10:20, 1Ki 10:29, 1Ki 11:16, 1Ki 16:8, 1Ki 16:23, 2Ki 5:5, 2Ki 11:3, 2Ki 13:10, 2Ki 13:19, 2Ki 14:21, 2Ki 15:2, 2Ki 15:8, 2Ki 15:33, 2Ki 16:2, 2Ki 18:10, 1Ch 3:4(twice), 1Ch 3:22, 1Ch 4:27(twice), 1Ch 7:2, 1Ch 7:4, 1Ch 7:40, 1Ch 8:38, 1Ch 9:6, 1Ch 9:9, 1Ch 9:44, 1Ch 12:24, 1Ch 12:26, 1Ch 12:35, 1Ch 20:6(twice), 1Ch 21:25, 1Ch 23:4, 1Ch 24:4, 1Ch 24:14, 1Ch 25:3, 1Ch 25:23, 1Ch 26:17, 2Ch 1:17, 2Ch 2:2, 2Ch 2:17, 2Ch 2:18, 2Ch 3:8, 2Ch 9:13(twice), 2Ch 9:15, 2Ch 9:18, 2Ch 9:19, 2Ch 13:21, 2Ch 16:1, 2Ch 22:12, 2Ch 26:1, 2Ch 26:3, 2Ch 26:12, 2Ch 27:1, 2Ch 27:8, 2Ch 28:1, 2Ch 29:17, 2Ch 29:33, 2Ch 35:8, Ezr 2:10, Ezr 2:11, Ezr 2:13(twice), Ezr 2:14, Ezr 2:22, Ezr 2:26, Ezr 2:30, Ezr 2:35, Ezr 2:60, Ezr 2:66, Ezr 2:67, Ezr 2:69, Ezr 8:26, Ezr 8:35, Ne 5:18, Ne 7:10, Ne 7:15, Ne 7:16, Ne 7:18, Ne 7:20, Ne 7:30, Ne 7:62, Ne 7:68, Ne 7:69, Es 2:12(twice), Job 5:19, Job 42:12, Pr 6:16, Is 6:2, Je 34:14, Je 52:23, Je 52:30, Eze 9:2, Eze 40:5, Eze 40:12(twice), Eze 41:1(twice), Eze 41:3, Eze 41:5, Eze 41:8, Eze 46:1, Eze 46:4, Eze 46:6
2	They are: Ezr 6:15, Da 3:1
3	They are: ( av;v; shaw-shaw’) appears only once in Eze 39:2 and is translated as leave the sixth part of thee ( hv;v; shaw-shaw’) also appears only once in Eze 45:13 and means to give the sixth part ( yVivi shish-shee’) meaning a sixth or a sixth part, occurs 28 times. Ge 1:31, Ge 30:19, Ex 16:5, Ex 16:22, Ex 16:29, Ex 26:9, Le 25:21, Nu 7:42, Nu 29:29, Jos 19:32, 2Sa 3:5, 1Ch 2:15, 1Ch 3:3, 1Ch 12:11, 1Ch 24:9, 1Ch 25:13, 1Ch 26:3, 1Ch 26:5, 1Ch 27:9(twice), Ne 3:30, Eze 4:11, Eze 8:1(twice), Eze 45:13, Eze 46:14, Hag 1:1, Hag 1:15
4	They are: ( !yVivi shish-sheem’) which occurs 59 times. Ge 5:15, Ge 5:18, Ge 5:20, Ge 5:21, Ge 5:23, Ge 5:27, Ge 25:26, Ge 46:26, Le 12:5, Le 27:3, Le 27:7, Nu 1:39, Nu 2:26, Nu 3:50, Nu 7:88(thrice), Nu 26:25, Nu 26:27, Nu 26:43, Nu 31:34, Nu 31:39, Dt 3:4, Jos 13:30, 2Sa 2:31, 1Ki 4:13, 1Ki 4:22, 1Ki 6:2, 1Ki 10:14, 2Ki 25:19, 1Ch 2:21, 1Ch 2:23, 1Ch 5:18, 1Ch 9:13, 1Ch 16:38, 1Ch 26:8, 2Ch 3:3, 2Ch 9:13, 2Ch 11:21(twice), 2Ch 12:3, Ezr 2:9, Ezr 2:13, Ezr 2:64, Ezr 8:10, Ezr 8:13, Ne 7:14, Ne 7:18, Ne 7:19, Ne 7:66, Ne 7:72, Ne 11:6, So 3:7, So 6:8, Is 7:8, Je 52:25, Eze 40:14, Da 9:25, Da 9:26 ( @yTivi shit-teen’) which is the Aramaic word for sixty, it occurs four times. Ezr 6:3(twice), Da 3:1, Da 5:31
5	They are: Mt 17:1, Mk 9:2, Lk 4:25, Lk 13:14, Jn 2:6, Jn 2:20, Jn 12:1, Ac 11:12, Ac 18:11, Ac 27:37, Jas 5:17, Re 4:8, Re 13:18
6	They are: Mt 13:8, Mt 13:23, Mk 4:8, Mk 4:20, Lk 24:13, 1 Ti 5:9, Re 11:3, Re 12:6, Re 13:18
7	They are: Re 13:18, Re 14:20

Where to go from here

The symbolism of the number seven.

Symbolic meanings of the numbers.